Twenty-one female students are learning many aspects of the dental career field first-hand, thanks to Heartlands Institute of Technology.

Heartlands is a career center located at Ionia High School that offers 10 programs including culinary arts, automotive technology, health occupations, aviation technology and plant and animal science to students across Ionia County. Heartlands is part of the Ionia County ISD and is funded by a millage that passed in May of 2010.

Dental occupations is a two-year program that fulfills a high school math credit, certifies the students in CPR, can provide college credit at Grand Rapids Community College, Davenport University and Ferris State University and allows second year students to serve an internship at a local dentist office.

The students also get to work with a dentist each week and take care of real patients in the community who do not have dental insurance, but need assistance.

"We try to schedule patients who don't have dental insurance," said dental occupations instructor Donna Pelfrey. "We try to do as much work on them as we can."

The students are able to help with cleanings, cavity fillings and extractions, which Pelfrey said is beneficial because it provides a real-life experience working in a dental office apart from just completing work from a text book.

"They can come out of class knowing they can go into the field or know it's not for them," she added. "They can put all the stuff they've learned and put it into practice."

Apart from practicing on real patients, they practice skills on each other, must dress appropriately for the class as if they were in an office and perform jobs including sterilization, receptionist, using the X-ray machine, managing an office and being part of a clinic. In addition, Pelfrey has educated the students on anatomy and instrument knowledge and is trying to incorporate technology as much as possible to help learning expand.

Students Katie Hildenbrand, Allie Bearss and Brianna Parks said they enjoy the program and believe they want to pursue the career in college.

"This class kind of made me sure I want to do (dental occupations)," said Hildenbrand, adding the experiences she is having keep her interested and do not feel like typical school work.

Bearss said her favorite part is to tend to the local patients.

"It makes me feel good that we can help people," said Bearss. "I think it's a really good experience."

The trio said they would encourage others who may be interested in the dental field to give the program a try.